Editor, We all know that what these days is taken as ‘universal knowledge’ is essentially a way of relating to the world in the West European way. It was codified, institutionalised, and systematically improved on since the 16th-17th centuries Europe. At the same time, and thanks to its development, it was spread all over the planet along successive sea-faring, “discoveries”, Christianisation, and now well orchestrated through worldwide political-economy ideology. Allow me to remind Dr. Tom Abeles that this knowledge or Eurocentric worldview has never been “reciprocal” as he states. It is a one way trend, exclusive and brutal. We all know that since the early encounters until now, all the other non-European world views and ways of life, such as ubudehe and umuganda in Rwanda, have been despised, denigrated, and most of them simply suppressed. In my youthful days, we were all compelled, under physical punishment threat to leave our subsistence crops and, instead, toil in mulching coffee plantations, or planting eucalyptus. In the meantime, our flame trees, euphorbia, legumes and sorghum, all supporting our Rwandan daily lifestyle, were thus neglected, and still are in the name of “modernisation”, “progress”, “poverty alleviation”, scramble for foreign cash to import foreign goods, etc. Hitherto, in agriculture and in any other walks of life, traditional African ways and artifacts have no value other than being tourists’ curios in a few cases, and in others just intellectual curiosities to an insignificant group of scientists. Obviously, contrary to his opinion, reciprocity is no where practiced. François-Xavier Nziyonsenga, Rwanda Reaction to the letter, “All innovation should be anchored on local ideals” (The New Times, August 18)
